Virat Kohli is arguably the best batter of the era, if not the best and hence one feels India is missing him in the middle-order in the Tests against England. With Virat Kohli set to return for the third Test in Rajkot that should boost the morale of the dressing-room. Kohli is someone who can intimidate oppositions and that is why English coach Brendon McCullum has gone on to praise the former India captain. Calling Virat Kohli as one of the greatest, McCullum admitted that he has always enjoyed playing against him.
Virat Kohli opted out of the first two matches citing ‘personal reasons’ and with the series tied at 1-1 at the moment, there were speculations regarding his possible return. Following India’s win in the second Test, Rahul Dravid was asked by reporters about Virat Kohli’s situation and he said that the selectors were the best people to ask the question. However, he added that the team selection will take place in the next few days and the team management will get in touch with the star batter in order to decide the future course of action.
India dismissed England for 292 runs in their second innings on day four to register a series-levelling 106-run win in the second Test. Resuming at 194 for six, England lost the remaining four wickets in the post-lunch session to be bowled out in 69.2 overs as India levelled the five-match series 1-1. India had scored 396 and 255 in their two innings, while England were dismissed for 253 in their first essay. India had lost the opening Test by 28 runs in Hyderabad.
With the series poised even 1-1 heading to Rajkot, it is evident that post Virat Kohli’s return India’s fragile middle order will be bolstered. England Coach Brendon McCullum is wary of the threat Virat Kohli will be for his team post his return but is confident that his team will be ready to face him.
Virat Kohli is one of the greatest players of the game- Brendon McCullum
England head coach Brendon McCullum stated that they are ready to tackle Virat Kohli ahead of his potential return in the third Test of the ongoing five-match series. The former New Zealand captain rated the former Indian skipper as a great competitor and reckons bowlers have to earn their success against him.
Kohli had opted out of the first two Tests due to personal reasons and there remains uncertainty around him featuring in the third, beginning on February 15 in Rajkot. The right-handed batter is one of the most impactful players today and averages a healthy 42.36 against England in 28 Tests, having scored 1991 runs.
Speaking to TalkSport, McCullum hoped everything is fine with Kohli’s family and reckons his addition will massively boost India’s squad. The 42-year-old elaborated:
“Virat’s one of the greatest players of the game has seen. No doubt it improves this squad. As we have said throughout, the depth in Indian cricket, the talent in India is immense. If Virat is coming back… we hope everything is well with his family. We will look forward to that challenge too,”
“He is a great competitor. I know him very well and I enjoyed playing against him, I enjoyed our team playing against him. And if you have success against the best, I am sure you have earned it,”
With Shreyas Iyer getting middling scores in both matches, the 35-year-old is likely to take his spot should he return for the third Test.
Brendon McCullum praises his young spinners for their performance in first 2 Tests
McCullum went on to hail the development of the young spinners in England’s squad as a massive plus and reckons adaptability to conditions will be critical. He said, as quoted by the BBC:
“The development of the young spinners has been fantastic. Not just their skillset but their passion to want the big moments. The pitches in the first two Tests have been very different and they needed different styles of play. I’m sure the third Test will be different again. We’ve just got to be sure we’re adaptable,”
With Jack Leach missing the second Test, the inexperienced trio of Rehan Ahmed, Shoaib Bashir, and Tom Hartley bowled beautifully on a benign surface. They combined for 15 wickets across the two innings in the second Test.
With the test series effectively poised 1-1 and both the teams now have 10 days break heading into third test at Rajkot, it would be interesting to see how Virat Kohli’s return would bolster the Indian batting lineup and also England reacts to his return in Indian squad.